Portable step attachment for ladders



Dec. 24, 1963 R. R. ROBERTS PORTABLE STEP ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Filed May 28 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. $09M; E 73 Dec. 24, 1963 R. R. ROBERTS PORTABLE STEP ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1962 & m

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INVENTOR. [be 4 ZZQM United States Patent 3,115,214 PORTABLE STEP ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Ralph R. Roberts, 105 Berkley Place, Glen Rock, NJ. Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,077 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-423) This invention relates generally to portable step attachments for use with ladders and more particularly to those ladders made with rails and rungs.

In the use of a conventional ladder (of rail and rung construction) it is often necessary to stand for a period of time on a rung of the ladder. The rung of the conventional type ladder is normally of a rounded configuration and in use becomes extremely uncomfortable to stand on for a length of time. If standing is protracted for many periods of time, physical injury either temporary or permanent may occur from the poor support provided by the rung bearing on concentrated areas of the feet. In shifting the feet to rest a particular spot of the foot it sometimes occurs that the foot will slip off the rung and often with serious consequences.

Step attachments have heretofore been made that adjust or hang on rungs, such attachments providing a platform upon which to stand.

There platform steps are only partially successful in providing a measure of safety for the user. Once safely on the paltforrn the user can proceed to paint or do whatever was intended in the use of the ladder. 1f the user of the ladder is one who uses the ladder only seldom and is more or less a novice, the platform is a great boon to his comfort and safety except when going up or down the ladder past the platform. Often he traverses the ladder with hands full of brushes, paint or other impediments, thus the journey up and down the ladder becomes a challenge to the experience and ability of the user. To step over the platform and down to the lower rungs is often a nerve racking experience fraught with some danger particularly if the platform is being used at a substantial distance above the ground.

It is an object of this invention to provide a platform of adequate size and stability yet so arranged as to enable the user to easily and safely step from the platform to the immediately lower rungs.

It is also an intent to provide a platform that is rigid when supporting the weight of a user, economical of manufacture, readily movable yet easily installed or removed.

Further this invention provides a platform that firmly rests on a rung of the ladder and lies between and engages the side rails thereof in such a manner that it is nearly impossible to accidentally dislodge from its in tended position. This platform adds little in weight but much to the usefulness of the ladder especially when used by the novice or non-professional.

It is an intent to provied a platform that is adaptable within reasonable limitations to the varying Widths of ladders, and at the same time permit the user to climb and lean on the ladder in the way a ladder is normally used.

It is an intent to provide a platform with a hinged portion that is easily moved to an up self-loosing position so the user may readily go up and down the ladder past the location which has the platform in place, and when the hinged portion is turned to a down position the platform is smooth and fiat with an ample, sturdy surface for easy standing.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when taken in light of the following description, reference first being made to the drawings wherein:

3,115,214 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the platform step arranged on a ladder and rung;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the platform step;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the platform step;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the platform step;

FIGURE 5 is a side View of the platform step in place on a ladder rung;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

Referring more particularly to the figures showing my invention like numbers will apply to the same parts in the several views. As assembled and installed for use a platform is placed in position on a ladder shown in phantom in FIGURE 1. The ladder, conventional in construction, consists of side rails 11 and rungs 12. Likewise the ladder shown in FIGURE 5 has similarly enumerated elements.

The platform comprises a formed retaining lip 15 which is curved so as to generally con-form to the rounded construction of rungs 12. This curved retaining lip 15 when in use on the ladder rests upon and engages rung 12. As a continuation of the retaining lip 15, a top plate 16 extends from lip 15. The top plate 16 is essentially flat and generally rectangular in shape. In top plate 16 a truncated opening is formed into which a hinged plate 17 is adapted to fit. As best seen in FIG. 4 the opening is made inter-mediate the ends of the platform so as to leave on each side of the opening a rigid platform portion sufficient for the user to place one foot thereon. As a part of top plate 16 and directly below the side edge of hinge-d plate 17 are formed a pair of oppositely disposed shoulder supports 18. These supports 18 extend into said opening and are formed in such a manner that the hinge plate 17 when resting thereon presents a surface coplanar with the top plate 16.

Tabs 1? are at right angles to and are formed as a part of the hinge plate 17 and provide pivot supports for the hinge plate 17. In a similar manner tabs 20 at right angles to are formed as a part of the top plate 16 and provide co-pivot supports. Both tabs 19 and 21) are similar in configuration and lie parallel and adjacent to each other. Pivot pins 21 reside in holes provided in tabs 19 and 2t and provide means for the hinged plate 17 to move from a position coplanar with top plate 16 to a relative past-vertical position as shown in phantom outline in FIGURE 2. In the preferred instance, as shown, at approximately ten degrees past the vertical the plate 17 engages the inner edge of the truncated opening whereupon the rotation of the plate 17 ceases and it remains in this inclined position until lowered to the shoulder supports 18.

Side support arms 25 are formed at right angles to and extend down from the top plate 16. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5 the arms 25 are generally triangular in shape with one of the sides extending downwardly from lip 15 and as a front stop co-acting with lip 15 to provide an arcuate means for engaging a rung 1-2. Engaging pins 26 are attached to and extend from the side support arms 25 and provide contact means for the lower engagement of the platform on the front faces of the side rails 11.

FIGURE 6 shows the preferred formation of the top plate 16 with the hinged plate 17 resting thereon.

Use and operation- To use the portable step the operator places the retaining lip 15 over the rung 12 at the height desired. The engaging pins 26 are brought to rest on the side rails 11 thus presenting a platform surface substantially parallel with the ground and at substantially the same level as rung 12. To enable the operator to traverse the platform the hinged plate 1-7 is turned to the up position which is slightly past the vertical. This position enables the hinged plate 17 to stay in this position until it is desired to turn it coplanar position. In the present instance and as seen in PEG. 5, the top plate 16 has about one-third of its width behind the front or outer face of rail 11 and the remaining projecting two-thirds is readily passed by the users upper body as he goes up or down the ladder, however the traverse by the feet from the engaged rung 12 to the rung below is dii'licult unless the hinged plate 17 is in the up position. The opening in the platform surface is made about as deep as the amount of platform extending beyond the side rail 11, and thus, the opening easily enables the operator to pass a foot through the opening and to then place his foot on either of the adjoining surface portions of the top plate 16 these portions being within the side rails provide a surface which is adequate as a firm foot support. When both feet have been brought to the top plate 16 the hinged plate 17 is urged by the foot to the down position whence the platform becomes a safe level surface upon which to stand in comfort and safety.

When it is the operators desire to descend he only needs to slip the toe of the foot under the rear of the hinged plate 1 and raise the hinged plate 17 to the up position. The operator is then able to easily pass the foot through the opening to the next lower rung and then proceed to descend the ladder in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention with particularity and detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that many modifications may be made to the particular embodiment shown and described and it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a portable platform step for use with a rail and rung constructed ladder, the platform adapted to fit between the side rails of the ladder and to support the weight of the user, the platform comprising;

(a) a curved rung engaging lip adapted to rest on substantially all of a rung of the ladder,

(b) a support plate having one side attached to and extending from the retaining lip and forming a generally flat rectangular surface extending from the rung to the outer edge, said support plate having a generally rectangular open-faced passageway formed in the side opposite the engaging lip, the passageway being intermediate the ends of the plate and extending inwardly at least to an inner edge at a point substantially coinciding with a line connecting the front faces of the ladder side rails, the passageway being of sufiicient width to permit the passage of a foot therethrough and the remaining support plate on each side of the passageway being sufiicient for supporting the foot and weight of a user when placed thereon,

(c) a movable support plate adapted to lie within and adjacent to the edges of the passageway,

(d) means to provide a hinge connection between the movable support plate and the support plate so that the movable plate may be selectively turned to a position over the inner edge of said passageway, said hinge means being disposed below and a short distance back of the front edge of the movable support plate,

(a) shoulder means formed from said support plate and disposed in said passageway and providing means for supporting the movable plate in a position relatively coplanar with the support plate,

(f) triangula-rly shaped side support members attached to and extending downwardly from the side edges of the support plate, the inner edges of the side supports arranged to provide a limiting stop by engaging the rung of the ladder so as to prevent unwanted movement inwardly of the platform,

(g) outwardly extending engaging pins attached to the side supports and adapted to engage the front faces of the ladder side rails whereby when the platform step is attached to a ladder elevated in a manner normal for use, the support surface is substantially parallel to the ground level, and when the movable support plate is in a coplanar position there is provided a large firm surface for easy standing thereon, and when the movable plate is moved to an angulated position, the user may move his foot through the passageway to the plate portion adjacent thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,737 Taylor May 5, 1908 897,929 Ridout Sept. 8, 1908 1,013,751 Dougherty Jan. 2, 1912 1,474,462 Blankenhagen Nov. 20, 1923 1,820,315 Miller Aug. 25, 1931 2,335,046 Droeger Nov. 23, 1943 2,381,569 Bowman Aug. 7, 1945 2,430,642 Mahaifey Nov. 11, 1947 3,020,972 Hockett Feb. 13, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 516,360 Belgium Jan. 15, 1953 757,427 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1956 

